With almost no comment, supervisors voted unanimously to ink
agreements with the conservation authority that also will give the
county credit toward conservation fees for future road
projects.

The agreements come at a time when the authority is having
difficulty raising money for its mandate, which is to assemble a
153,000-acre system of reserves
to protect
endangered species of wildlife.

The plan is to build a network of large blocks of reserves
spread throughout western Riverside County, connected by corridors
that allow animals to travel in between. Connections also are
planned with nearby national forest lands.

The authority's primary funding source is fees on new home
construction, and in the down economy builders aren't framing many
houses.

Charles Landry, authority executive director, said in an
interview Monday that the agency brought in $6.3 million in revenue
during fiscal year 2010-11, down substantially from the peak
collection of $36.4 million in fiscal 2005-06.

The Board of Supervisors' Tuesday decision also came one day
before the
Riverside
County Transportation Commission
was scheduled to consider
accelerating payments of local transportation money to the
authority. Measure A, the half-cent sales tax renewed in 2009,
committed $153 million to the authority. So far, the agency has
received $129 million.

Officials were tight-lipped about the property being purchased
for the reserve system and Clinton Keith Road, citing sensitive
negotiations.

Landry said he could not divulge the location or size of the
property.

According to a staff report to the board from Karin Watts-Bazan,
principal deputy county counsel, "The RCA has been negotiating the
purchase of certain real property that is a critical piece for
inclusion in the reserve established by the (habitat conservation
plan). Additionally, as part of this acquisition, the
Transportation Department will receive right of way necessary for
the extension of Clinton Keith Road."

To help the authority obtain the property, the supervisors
agreed to loan the agency $5 million. The county plans to pull the
money out of its solid waste enterprise fund.

Under one agreement approved Tuesday, the authority would repay
the money over five years, starting in January 2017.

The county also agreed to put up $1.4 million for the piece of
ground it needs for Clinton Keith.

In a separate agreement, the county agreed to provide an advance
payment of $2.6 million to the authority, to be credited toward
habitat fees required when roads are expanded.

Landry said such fees equal 5 percent of the cost of a
particular transportation project.

"What we're doing is prepaying this $2.6 million," said Juan
Perez, county transportation director, during a break in the board
meeting.

In exchange, the county will get a $2.9 million credit toward
future habitat fees, Perez said.

He said the county will tap into that credit over the next few
years. Perez said the first project to take advantage of it likely
will be the planned roundabout on Rancho California Road in Wine
Country, which is slated to be built in 2012.

Before the board vote on the agreements, a member of the public
criticized the plan.

Rebecca Ludwig of the Rubidoux community near Riverside said it
was a mistake to provide money to the authority when county
employees face possible layoffs because of declining tax
revenue.

"I don't know how you can be more concerned about species of
animals than for the species of the human being," Ludwig said.

Supervisor Jeff Stone countered that the people of Riverside
County will benefit from the improvements on Clinton Keith
Road.